Authors : Julian S. Leonn; Rebecca S. Sandrugu; Vivek Shukla

Volume/Issue : Volume 10 - 2025, Issue 12 - December

Google Scholar : https://tinyurl.com/3t5zdrxd

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DOI : https://doi.org/10.38124/ijisrt/25dec575

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Abstract : Recognizing the immune system’s anti-tumor activities is an important new method to address the shortcoming of systemic approach to treat hepatocellular carcinoma. To pursue this line of treatment, it is imperative that immune cells should differentiate between normal and cancer cells to specifically attack the cancer cells. Recently, many types of immunotherapies have been developed, and checkpoint inhibitors emerges as central point because of positive outcomes from different types of cancer. Normally, hepatocellular carcinoma has been treated with standard cytotoxic chemotherapy and in advanced stage, antiangiogenic tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs) were used as systemic therapeutic approach. These treatments were not very beneficial in metastatic malignancies. Checkpoint inhibitor therapy provided better hopes as these agents enable immune cells to eradicate cancer cells precisely and effectively. Currently, cytotoxic T-lymphocyte-associated protein 4 (CTLA-4) and programmed cell death protein 1 and its ligand (PD-1 and PD-L1) are the most popular choice of checkpoint inhibitors in management of advanced hepatocellular carcinoma. In this mini review, we provide the breakthroughs coming from currently available immune checkpoint inhibitors in HCC and their boundaries in management of these malignancies.

Keywords : Hepatocellular Carcinoma (HCC), Tyrosine Kinase Inhibitors (TKIs), Immune Checkpoint Inhibitors (ICIs).

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